PICCOLO'S QUESTION
by animegrrrl
Summary: Supersoakers, a hysterical Videl, and a kissing Piccolo. A typical day in the domesticated life of Son Gohan.


SUMM: Supersoakers, a hysterical Videl, and a kissing Piccolo. A typical day in the domesticated life of Son Gohan.  
  
This scene takes place five years before PFK, the death of Chi-Chi or Videl. Pan is now a young teenager.  
  
PICCOLO'S QUESTION  
by animegrrrl  
  
  
"Piccolo!" the younger man exclaimed, surprised and delighted that his former master had come to see him- and not the other way around. Piccolo had gracefully touched down in Gohan's front yard. Gohan ran up to hug him but stopped, suddenly mindful of proprieties. Gohan settled for something more dignified, a handshake. After lifting one of his brow ridges, Piccolo took the proffered hand, a faint smirk on his lips.  
  
It was so rare these days that Gohan got to see his friend Piccolo. You know the excuses; his job, having a kid, life in general had prevented Gohan from seeing his boyhood hero more often than they'd both like.   
  
"I hope I'm not interupting..." Piccolo said quietly.  
  
"No, of course not." said Gohan. "I'm always happy to see you." Gohan felt a pang of guilt. The few times he had managed to make it out to the wilderness(They always met there. It was more private than's Kami's Lookout.), he always left slightly depressed. Although reluctant, he had to go back, his life with his family was calling. Gohan just wished that he didn't have such a strong feeling that Piccolo shoudn't be left alone. It's not like Gohan was abandoning him or anything.   
  
Gohan gestured toward the house. "Would you like to come inside?" He saw Piccolo's hesitation. "It's a beautiful day out anyway. We can sit here instead." Gohan guided Piccolo by his elbow towards a large, lush tree. They moved to the shelter of the tree's shade.   
  
Gohan settled down next to Piccolo, who moved into his usual crossed arm and leg meditative position. Gohan kept shooting curious glances at Piccolo and biting his lip. Finally, he worked up enough courage to ask what was on his mind. "Cough. Um, so, Piccolo. How are you?  
  
The Namek cracked one eye open. "Fine." he answered, in a monotone voice.  
  
"So... you're fine. Just fine?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. What else do you want me to say?"  
  
"Aren't you lonely living by yourself?"  
  
"What are you talking about? I live with Dende, in case you forgot." answered Piccolo rather annoyed.   
  
"No, of course not but... Piccolo, have you ever considered children?"   
  
"What? No!" After that brief outburst his face returned to the usual stoic expression. "It would get in the way of my training and it's too much trouble. I had enough dealing with you." Gohan made an amused noise. Piccolo smirked.   
  
"If you say so, but I think you did a pretty good job of raising and training me." Piccolo softly snorted.   
  
"Ah Piccolo, my life is so full now. It's a wonderful thing to be a parent." There was a wistful smile on his face as Gohan fondly thought of cherished memories involving Pan and Videl. "It's a wonderful thing to be in love."   
  
Piccolo sweatdropped. "I wouldn't know."   
  
"Oh. Trust me, it's great." Gohan broke out in a goofy grin.   
  
Piccolo wondered whether to attribute that goofy grin to Gohan being in love or the Son Goku gene. "Hmph, even Vegeta knows what I don't." Whenever Vegeta wasn't ranting on about his baka women, Piccolo saw the proud and happy gleam in his eyes whenever he looked their way. Piccolo was surprised that airheaded women such as his daughter or Bulma could cause that look. Yeah, he had seen that sappy look on Vegeta a few times before, but never a goofy grin. So Piccolo decided to blame it on Goku.   
  
Piccolo understood some kinds of love. First friendship, that he learned from Gohan. He also got a hint of what it was like to be a father with him. He took on the role of teacher whenever Goku wasn't around(which was a lot). Then love for fellow man and a fiercely increased love of Chikyuu when he merged with Kami. Lastly, a sense of family when he merged with Nail. He had memories of a loving father and had brothers that weren't mutated monsters. Athough this had happened before his fusion with Kami, it took Dende's arrival on Planet Earth to make him understand what it really was like to be part of one. That's why he lived with Dende. He felt the need to watch over his 'little brother', though Piccolo tried not to be overprotective. Piccolo knew that Dende was his intellectual equal, and should treat the younger Namekian with the respect he deserved.   
  
Yes, he had changed so much over the years. A hate-filled soul like himself had learned many kinds of love(He even managed to develop a love of himself somewhere in between.), but he still didn't understand this 'falling in love' and why the hell it made males act so weak around annoying females.   
  
"What's so great about being in love, anyway? Sometimes I see you walking and then for no reason break out into that daft smile of yours. I've seen others." He thought of Yamucha and how he smiled that same smile everytime his wife looked his way. Krillen had the same stupid look too. Well, at least when 18 wasn't yelling at him. He had no idea why those women made them so happy. "Being in love clouds judgement. It makes you weak. Tell me Gohan, what's so great about being in love? Besides the sex thing."   
  
"Piccolo! How would you know about something like that?   
  
Piccolo snorted. "I live in the world, you know. I've fought alongside men, I watched over Chikyuu for 300 years, I was bound to overhear something." Piccolo paused for a second, then wrinkled his nose. "Sex sounds as disgusting as kissing looks."   
  
Gohan sputtered and laughed. "Piccolo! No! Kissing isn't gross at all! Haven't you ev- No, I don't suppose you've ever kissed anyone." Gohan ended thoughtfully. Gohan now looked at Piccolo seriously, waiting for him to confirm the statement. Gohan raised a brow at Piccolo's hesitation. Finally, Piccolo answered.   
  
"Sometimes... Sometimes I would- Nail, would kiss a very young Dende between his antennae, before tucking him in for a nap."   
  
"So you have kissed someone before. But that was just one kind of kiss, the kind you give to your family."   
  
"There are other kinds?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
Piccolo fixed Gohan with an intense gaze. "Show me."   
  
"Show. You."   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Uh..." Gohan felt his cheeks getting hot. He had no idea why he was getting flustered, and told himself not to be so silly. Gohan moistened his suddenly dry lips and prepared to tell Piccolo all about the wonderful world of sucking face when CRASH! BANG! BOOM! People started screaming inside the house. Well actually, it was more like Videl yelling bloody murder and hearing two highpitched hysterical troublemakers(Pan and Goten) laughing evilly in the background. Gohan had a feeling murder would happen soon if he didn't to put a stop to whatever was going on, so he uncrossed his legs and got up. "Honestly, it's like having two kids instead of one." he muttered. Gohan went to investigate. Two steps later he stopped and turned around. "We'll continue this conversation later." he promised. Piccolo didn't respond. He just stood there with arms crossed, staring at Gohan darkly. It was his typical unemotional mask, and so it didn't occur to the demi-Saiyan until much later that he had seen something heavier than usual in those serious, brooding eyes.  
  
Gohan opened the kitchen door just in time to get splashed with water from head to toe. "CUT IT OUT!" he roared. Pan and Goten stood frozen in shock, incriminating weapons still in their hands. Gohan sternly said "Give me those." and promptly dropped the two supersoakers into a garbage can. "Pan, go into your room and don't come back out until I tell you to."   
  
"We were just having fun."  
  
"GO." Pan rebelliously stomped up the stairs. "Goten, you can leave as soon as you get dry."   
  
"D'oh."   
  
Goten had such a pitiful look on his face that Gohan almost felt sorry him, but then he saw his wet and seething wife and got disciplined. Hands on hips, Gohan scared Goten into submission. For a second, he resembled their mother Chi-Chi more than their father Goku! After Goten left, Gohan helped Videl clean up the kitchen but it took longer than expected. They had to pick up the shattered dishes piece by piece and look for them in the strangest places, not to mention having to mop up the soaking wet floor.   
  
When they were finally done Gohan gave Videl a towel. She started to dry herself off but she then threw it to the floor. "Oh, I give up!"  
  
"Videl?"   
  
"I'm sorry Gohan, it's just that I- I-" Gohan hugged his stressed out wife. She leaned into him and sighed. "I had such a bad day at work and all I wanted to do was relax but then those sneaks sneaked up on me and now half our plates are gone and-"  
  
"Shh." Gohan pulled her in closer. *SQUISH* Husband and wife looked at each other in amazement, then busted out laughing.  
  
Videl wiped a tear out her eye. "I guess you're just as soaked as I am." she giggled.  
  
"Yeah." chuckled Gohan.  
  
"I'm going upstairs to change."  
  
"Good idea." Gohan put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"You know what? I feel like like taking a shower first. Care to join me?"  
  
The thought of a hot and relaxing shower definetly appealed to Gohan at that moment. He smiled at his wife and said "That sounds nice. We can think of something for Pan lat- Piccolo-san!" He smacked his head. "I forgot all about him!" Gohan ran toward the door, stopped, ran back to Videl, pecked her on the cheek as an apology, and ran out the door.   
  
"Piccolo?" he called around the corner. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm back tho-" Gohan stopped. "Piccolo?" He scanned the yard hard for any sign of his former mentor. "Huh." Gohan scratched his head in confusion.   
  
His mentor was simply gone.  
  
FINI  
  
  
AUTHOR'S PET PEEVE/RANT: Hm, hoped you enjoy that. I thought it was pretty cute. Anyhoo, I was thinking, "Why would FF.net offer the option of authors receiving reviews only from other authors?" I understand that FF.net is a community, but how can that community grow when that option discourages it? And why would any author do something so snobby as that?! I know leaving reviews certainly encouraged me to become more active on FF.net. GIVE PEACE A- er, give people a chance.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yamucha's wife is Puar. She was sick of seeing all those women dump poor Yamucha so she changed permanently into a woman/babe to see if she could make him happy. 


End file.
